Down the Crime Alley
by Desaad94
Summary: An interesting take on Joe Chill and how he turned out to commit the most sensational murder in the history of Gotham.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is a five chapter story told from Joe Chill's perspective. Please give feedback if you like it or not.**

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **Rough Night**

* * *

He never liked being out in the cold. His jaws started chattering involuntarily and his nose grew as red as Rudolph's nose. It wasn't his best outfit for the cold – skinny sweater, torn gloves and a thick balaclava helmet, but that's all he could afford. His father couldn't offer him a proper education and he passed away soon leaving his sons in deranged paths.

Thievery wasn't his only choice but it swallowed him too deep into its belly before he could escape out of its snappy teeth.

His eyes picked a certain old man walking down the newly rebuilt footpath towards him, wearing three piece cloth and a glimmering silver watch. The petty thief smiled and approached the old man taking sloppy long steps like a drunkard.

It's all about timing, he thought. He subtly wore out the old man's watch and like a good citizen of Gotham, he asked him to 'fuck off' for dashing a drunkard. No one messes with drunken people, he thought.

As he walked down the frisky Brideshead neighborhood street proudly with hands in his pockets, he realized he was late for home. A bald masculine guy with a big skull tattoo on his biceps was mugging a lady for her purse. When you witness a more severe form of thievery, then you know the night in Gotham has started. The thief didn't bother to intervene. He whisked a stare at them and started ambling on his way to home. In Gotham, you have to be selfish to stay alive. The uniforms didn't matter and so did the laws. It takes us more than a scratch on skin to know who is good and who is not.

He walked past harlots baring their voluptuous tits and most of their skin to attract customers. He badly wanted to get in with them, take them to a hotel and escape into an ecstasy that relieve him of his responsibilities. It wasn't easy for a man who lost his wife in his early period of marriage to remain sexually abstinent for the rest of his life. Life has always been a downhill for him since his father's death and his wife's death branded him as a certified loser.

The stench of sewer punched right up his nostrils. He rushed up a shanty apartment, ascending the stairs with long steps. He could hear yelling of Mrs. Regan at her husband again. They're a paranoid couple and completely suck at conversations. They have a son, Rory Regan, currently serving in army for a war that no one wanted and was to return in a week time. Perhaps he could contain this paranoia or he's as much paranoia as they are.

"Daddy?"

The faint voice lightened up his spirits pronto as soon as he opened the door. A young boy possibly in his early teens was lying on the bed with a blue paperback book with no name on it. He was pale and his eyes looked worn out.

"Hey, how're you feeling?"

"As usual", replied the boy with a feeble cough. The thief gently rhythmically rubbed his hair stem admiring his son's knack for literature. He always wanted his son educated and live a better life but his horrendous ill-life had managed to pass down the genes to his son. His son suffered early stages of leukemia and treatment demanded more money.

" Watchya reading?"

"Mrs. Regan gave me this. It got weird proses and poems. Have you heard of Court of Owls?"

"Everybody knows 'em. It's a cooked up story by parents to keep their kids at bay"

"So… Court of Owls are not real?"

"They are real. I just ran into them. They hate kids not sleeping right on time", he said cuddling his son playfully and tickling him just above his belly. He could feel the heat blowing off like stream from his body. He managed to fake a smile as his eyes turned teary.

Suddenly, we hear a heavy knock on the door like a metallic surface hitting a hollow wood. The thief wasn't expecting anyone. He had guesses running in his mind as he slowly approaches the door with careful steps, closing his son's room behind. Mrs. Regan or…. He didn't want to think of him. Not now.

The door was opened to reveal a stout kid in late teens with sharp nose, his jet black shiny hair eating half of his face. He had a cane, his father's cane.

"Master Cobblepot?"

"Why the bug eyes, Joe? You know my dad isn't feeling well but that doesn't stop you from paying the goddamn rent", snapped Oswald Cobblepot with his squeaky voice.

"But it's not even end of the month. How can – "

"Save the talk, Joe Chill. I have no time for your begging sessions. Pay your money by tomorrow morning"

"But I don't – "

"I heard your son is ill"

Joe Chill nodded.

"You're one of those sentimental dads who spend money only on their kids and not for themselves, aren't you? My dad earned all his money for what? To get sick? Now I'm going to own everything. What a waste of time right? Sick ol' man. Do yourself a favor. Ditch your son in an orphanage or just kill him off with poison or whatever that kills him painlessly. Believe me. It saves a lotta money"

He gave a huge smirk and departed the room.

Behind the bedroom door was Ron eavesdropping the whole conversation. He went back to his bed with a long face, blaming himself for all the miseries he had weighed on his dad.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **Breaking Point**

* * *

"That little sonuva bitch got some real nerve to show up at your house like that"

"He's just a kid, Jake but the threat is real. His dad sent him and I have no other choice but to worry about the rent money"

"How much do you owe him?"

"About $250"

The beer almost reversed its path back to Jake's nose, forcing tears out of his eyes. He coughed gently to make himself more subtle in the thriving local bar but the black high necked Nehru jacket on him had already caught enough attention among the patrons.

"So how're you going to manage?" he asked while ordering another beer.

"I don't know, Jake. You got any better idea?"

Jake smirked. He crisscrossed his legs confidently and tapped the wooden table gently with his fat golden ring. Joe knew what Jake was going to tell. Probably an offer to join his boss, Lew Moxon and work as his henchman. To be honest, it's an offer that only a fool would miss. Moxon works for Falcone and working for Moxon would mean you indirectly work for the Falcone. Each and every person in Gotham's underworld would pine for this opportunity but unfortunately, Joe was a man of simple taste and loved to work alone.

Once young Joe caught an old petty thief in a subway for stealing a purse from a lady. Joe was no cop but he believed people's hard earned money are to be respected and not snatched away for one's own selfish needs. The old thief begged for mercy, struggling from the strong grip of Joe. Joe didn't fall for it and rather asked "Why should I let you go?"

The old man stopped struggling and looked closely into his eyes. He then replied, 'You die for what you do and live for what you did'. That line hit him so hardly. It was an eye opener for him. It didn't land him in an affluent position like he desired but it helped him survive his tough times.

"There's this new doctor in town. Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a renowned doctor from England. She supposedly deals with cancer…."

Joe's eyebrows grew closer. Jack knew he got Joe's attention. He smirked again and this time wide enough for his mouth to touch both the ends of his ears.

"…. Especially Leukemia. She brought back something precious for cancer patients, to help them fight it. Some sorta drugs to counter cancer. Y'know what I mean right? So…. I can give you some options which indeed is not inclined to your liking but you have no other choice left, Joe"

Joe took a deep breath and pressed his temples roughly. Multiple thoughts running past him like a running train. It was hard for him to pick one. He knew thievery was definitely not the choice he could have thought of taking in his life but when he did, he framed his own set of moral codes that he wished to abide by and the first rule was to never harm anyone.

"Give me some"

Jake rubbed his light stubble chin and turned around to check whether anyone was watching them. He took a revolver from his coat pocket and placed it onto Joe's palms closing it tightly with his. He winked at him and said, "To aim bigger, you need to think bigger"

The minute hand moved slowly as Joe's impatience grew aggressively.

"What're we waiting for? I don't understand"

Jake hushed him. His eyes stayed focused on a black limo parked right ahead of them. He hid his face under the steering wheel of his car acting weird.

"It's almost 10:40, Jake. You had me here for one hour and I don't understand what we are doing here"

Two random men in puffy sweaters got into a conversation with man in black tuxedo sitting in the black limo. The man in the limo didn't look very much interested in the conversation but anyway seemed to engage with them since he was new to the city.

"Go. Now", ordered Jake without even meeting Joe's eyes. He looked tensed and had his sights only on the man in the limo and the other two men. Joe held the gun tight and took a deep breath.

"Think about Ron", Jake finally turned to Joe "He's a bright kid and might do wonders in the future. You don't want him to land in this scum just like you and me, right? You never know how a man changes and this one might do good for you and your son"

Joe nodded. He stepped out of the door resolute to take a risk. He walked down the dark alley covered with horrendous stench of rotten fruits and beer fumes. His hands sweated occasionally losing the grip of the gun. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching. He held the revolver tight holding it flat in the air. He could hear Jake's last line running on loop. This might be the defining moment of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

 **Park Row**

* * *

He had his gun pointing at the husband and wanted to get away with this quickly. His eyes turned to the white pearl necklace the woman was wearing. That necklace was the prize.

"You!" Joe pointing the woman "The necklace. NOW!"

She didn't flinch. It was like as if she wanted Joe to give his best shot at intimidation.

"Look….. You don't have to do this", advised the man in the royal black tuxedo.

"Stop talking!" yelled Joe followed by a discrete mumbling "I have every reason to do this".

The young boy's eyes turned watery. He hid behind his dad, holding his fingers.

"Dad?" said the boy in a whimpering tone.

The man was scared now. He was scared he might lose his family and he understood there's nothing more precious than family. His hand shoveled into his coat inside pocket to get his wallet.

This was Joe's first thievery through intimidation but he knew many people who had gone through these path and unexpected things always tend to happen. Joe's hands on the trigger slipped as the man was taking his wallet out. A gunshot and all hell broke loose. The woman screamed at high pitch. Joe had no choice but kill her as well.

The bullet pierced through her breastbone shattering her necklace pearls everywhere. Everything was happening so fast and it was hard for the young boy to process. He stood there, tears gaining slowly in his eyes. Joe knew he had to finish this clean and leave no loose ends. He pointed his gun slowly at the boy.

He turned to Joe with teary eyes. 'Kill me' his eyes said.

Joe hesitated. The kid reminded him of Ron. He stood helpless like Ron. A body without structure. He turned back sparing the boy's life and walked right out of the alley. Jake was waiting for him in the car. The gun shot had startled the entire neighborhood. People started to gather near the alley.

"I don't understand. Who were they?" asked Joe pulling out his balaclava helm and threw it in the back-seat.

"You killed them all? The husband, wife and that nine year old kid?" asked Jake avoiding Joe's question.

"No"

Jake's zeal shrunk into a deep frowning "What do you mean by 'no'?"

"The kid… I couldn't…" Joe broke into tears. He never wanted this. He felt his life shattering like glass pieces.

Jake turned gloom. He wasn't happy with Joe but then he smiled.

"It's okay. You just killed the Waynes, Joe. You just brought down a whole fucking Wayne Empire. I am sure the boy would be of no concern to Moxon. He's just a kid. What could he possibly do?"

"You used me, didn't you?"

Jack smirked at him again.

"I hate to get my hands dirty, Joe. You needed money and did a perfect assassination. I had my men to distract their butler and you completely foiled the whole plan"

Joe didn't reply anything.

Jake dropped him at Joe's place and gave him an envelope filled with a huge sum of money. Joe tucked it into his pocket and without any reply, he ascended the stairs. The whole apartment was silent.

He convinced himself that the murder was perfectly done. No one saw him there other than the Wayne kid.

'What could a kid possibly do?' thought Joe.

He knocked Ron's room. He knew he would have fallen asleep by this time but that Wayne kid's face was struck in his mind and he couldn't get it off him.

There was no response.

He knocked the door again. There was no response again. He opened the door slowly without making noise.

"Ron? Ro—"

Joe's face turned pale. He fell to the floor on his knees, crawled slowly to his son dangling in mid-air by a long noose around his neck.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

 **Turning Tide**

* * *

WRRRRIIIIIINNNGGG!

He could hear the ringing sound again. It wouldn't stop. It kept on ringing. His drunken eyes remained impassive caring less about the noise. He could hear only the ringing and that gave him an oddly satisfying peace. He shouldn't have fought with the big guy. He shouldn't have deliberately dumped the beer on him.

His grizzly stubble was painted with blood oozing from his broken front tooth. The bartender offered him an ice pack. The bartender never liked him since the day he started drinking in this bar. That was like twenty five years back. Twenty five years of unbearable bottled pain. He stopped caring about anything. He lost track of time.

His son's death changed him into a whole different person except that he decided to stick with the only profession he knew. Gotham has changed a lot. Technology has taken over the mankind. He found his profession much easier with people interested more in what's on those small screens than what's around them. He once stole five wallets in one day amounting to seven hundred dollars. No sweat. But the law still remained the same. The cops were still corrupted except for the new commissioner Gordon. He's a real menace to the mobs. He once caught Maroni which shattered the whole Gotham underground. He did the impossible but saw himself fail for not able to contain him much longer than two days. He went real silent afterwards. He realized corruption was deeply seated in the roots of Gotham and nothing could be done to change Gotham by following book.

"You Joe? Joe Chill?"

Joe Chill turned back to find a tall black balding man in a shiny black suit.

"Wooo arrrrr…"

"You're a fighter, Joe. Just like your brother"

Joe Chill realized who he was or at least who he belonged to. They killed his brother. His one and only brother. For not finishing the assigned job. He realized that his brother and his son died because of him.

"The Roman wants you. He respects you. I know you've been through shit but this is a token of respect….."

Joe wanted to punch the guy badly for what the Falcone did to his brother. He had no fight in him left.

"….. I personally don't like you but you killed the Waynes…."

Joe could still remember the teary eyes of the Wayne child, begging to kill him too.

"….. And you're forgotten now. You could've started a whole new empire back then. You would've gotten richer by now" he paused "Look, Falcone wants to give you a chance. Take it for the sake of your miserable dog shit life you're living"

He left a card with phone number written on it. Joe pressed his upper lips gently. It was stinging sharply.

'Fuck!'

He took out his wallet and all he could find was five dollars and accumulation of old bill receipt papers at the bottom. He then looked at the card.

* * *

Joe reached the North Gotham Docks. He was said there were exquisite art pieces in the containers each holding a whooping amount of more than ten million dollars and they were to be shipped to 'Khandaq'. All he had to do was guard the area along with Falcone's men until the shipments were processed.

Joe thought of this as a chance to redeem himself and make a better life. He hated Falcone but he had no choice. This seemed to be a better job and touch of the cold muzzle of the gun gave him solidity.

"The Roman got the whole Gotham in his hands right?" asked Joe trying to make a conversation.

"Yeah. They don't call it 'The Roman Empire' for nothing", replied the ginger, chewing his gum meticulously.

"Then why the protection? I mean eight guys for three containers?"

The ginger scoffed "You're not much into this lane of work, are you?"

"Life stopped fascinating me in any form"

"Since when?"

"Since my birth"

"Right. I feel you bruv. Heard of this man sized bat creature scouring the scum like us off the streets?"

"We're not scums, Bob"

"I don't mind being called scum, man. This is dirty work. Law never crossed our lines. This…. This creature pops out of nowhere and now the whole underworld is shitting in its pants"

Joe once eavesdropped someone talking about a giant bat in Gotham but never thought it was this sensational than he expected it to be. He realized how carefree and ignorant his life had been for the past twenty five years.

"So what does it do? Eats people?" asked Joe curiously.

"I don't know man. Some say it's a vampire. Some say it eats people alive. I don't believe shit unless I see one. But I know a victim. Do you know Tommy? He got his leg…."

We hear a shrilling scream alerting the whole dock. Joe and Bob turned back, their faces screaming fear, to find the whole shipment area covered with smoke.

"IT'S HERE!"


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

 **The Bat-Man**

* * *

It didn't take less than five minutes. The smoke cleared out slowly revealing five men knocked out cold on the ground. Joe Chill had never felt this much alive before. Adrenaline kicking in fast and his consciousness blending well with his surroundings. Bob was almost in tears and another guy who went by the name 'Tooth' started firing in the open air.

"Come out you ugly creature", cried Tooth.

The air suddenly turned eerie and sweat crawled on their skin like spider.

"We should better run", said Bob, his voice trembling.

"No. We kill this creature once and for all", ordered Tooth.

"I don't want to get into –"

A swish in the wind and Bob was lying on the ground, unconscious. Tooth got panicked and started firing again. Joe noticed a metal piece in the shape of what appeared to resemble a bat lying next to Bob. Tooth went total barbaric, firing recklessly.

And then it happened. The creature appeared at the top of a container. It had two pointy ears and its whole body was covered by a dark cloth. It was just staring at us.

Joe started firing at the creature.

"What're you looking at? Shoot it down", cried Joe.

Tooth's hands were trembling. He looked at Joe and gathered up courage. Both continued firing till they ran out of ammo. All they did was create multiple dents on the ship containers but no sign of dead creature.

"YOU'RE DONE" said the creature in the most chilling voice Joe had ever heard.

The creature jumped off the container and landed on the ground. Tooth drew out a knife and charged towards the creature like a mad man. The creature didn't even flinch. It twisted Tooth's hand and elbowed hard on his face. It gave multiple punches at his rib and knocked him out cold with a final punch on his face. It slowly turned to Joe.

Joe couldn't move. The creature was agile like a ninja and facing him seemed a bad idea. He dropped his gun on the ground and yielded. As the creature grew closer to him, Joe saw its full face. 'It' was just a man. A man dressed up in a bat-suit. But even that fact couldn't ease off his tension.

"Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me", begged Joe.

"Joe Chill", said the man in the bat-suit.

Joe looked startled.

"How…."

The man grabbed his collar and pulled him up off the ground forcefully.

"Look into my eyes and tell me….. What do you see?"

He could see an abysmal darkness that spoke no emotions. Joe gasped. The man choked Joe's throat tightly making him gasp for breath. Joe's face turned red. He then looked into the man's eyes. It spoke something. He could feel the anger channeling through the man's hands wrecking his neck slowly.

"How did it feel when you lost your son, Joe?"

Joe's eyes widened. He realized who the man behind the bat mask was.

"Way -?"

The man furthered his grip on Joe's neck and tossed him on the ground hard.

Joe couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't feel anything. All he could see was the man in the bat-suit standing tall staring at him. Then he left as soon as the sirens approached the docks. 'Why didn't he kill me? Why?' the question pondered his mind as the cops arrested him along with others.

Far away from the docks stood the man in the black suit on a rooftop. His face remained grim. He took a pocket watch from his faded yellow utility belt sporting multiple pockets. His father's pocket watch.

He remembered his father's last words. 'People always make mistakes, Bruce…. Forgive him'

His eyes turned wet. He realized killing Joe Chill wouldn't have given back his parents. 'Am I doing this right?' asked the man to himself. He stared at the dark vast sky as two bright stars shined back at him.

"I am"


End file.
